Circuit breaker



'July 29, 1930. E. D. MOORE C IRCUI T BREAKER Original Filed April 17, 1926 Sheets-Sheet l July 29, 1930. E. .D. MOORE CIRCUIT BREAKER Original Filed April 1'7, 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 EDGAR D M00 E E. D. MOORE CIRCUIT BREAKER July 29, I930."

Original Filed April 17, 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Fia.

nvcnl'cz EEG/IE 5. M00 E Patented July 29, 1930 umrao STATES PATENT OFFICE EDGAR n. MOORE, or MANSFIELD, onro, ASSIGNOR r0 THE OHIO BRASS COMPANY, 01 MANSFIELD, 01110, A CORPORATION or new JERSEY CIRCUIT BREAKER Original application filed April 17, 1926, Serial No. 102,653. Divided and this application filed December 1, 1926. Serial No. 151,903.

This invention relates to circuit opening devices and has particular reference to automatic switches or circuit breakers which are adapted as a substitute for the ordinary fuses now in use, and is a division of my co-pending application, Serial No; 102,653, filed April 17, 1926, for a circuit breaker.

The purpose of the switch is twofold: first, to offer protection to fractional horse power motors and second, as a combined junction box, switch and protective device in the house, either replacing the fuse or protecting the same.

As a specific example of the above statements, it might be pointed out that A. C. fractional horse power motors start by means of a starting windin which is thrown out in most cases by centri ugal force acting on the brushes when the motor reaches normal speed. If for any reason the motor does not reach normal speed within the time intended by the manufacture this winding will be injured by the excessive heat. In the case of a washing machine using such a motor if the motor is slowed down or stalled by its load these brushes will dro back in, causing the starting winding to urn out. Often a motor is stalled by clothes getting caught in the wringer. If the circuit is not broken immediately, either a burned out motor or a blown fuse is the result. In some cases the fuse does not offer protection, as a 15 ampere fuse in a house allows the motor to work on a 500% overload. A fuse less than that will not start the motor. My improved switch is built and adjusted to prevent a burning out of the starting winding due to either a stalling of the motor or an overloading. It allows the motor to deliver its overload rating, breaking the circuit when the overload has been carried as long as it is safe. Should a person, while operating the washing machine, get caught in the wringer, the extra load thrown upon the motor would be sufficient to trip the switch, thereby offering a safety feature. This switch installed upon a washing machine or other apparatus prevents blowing of a fuse, doing away with a nuisance familiar to every operator of washing machines.

. Myimproved switch may be used with any installation which calls for some kind of antomatic protection; for example, the butt welding machines where two pieces to be welded are forced together with a motor. These motors are often times burnt out be cause the switch has not opened soon enough. Also conveyor belts in candy and food packing plants become gummed from the products of manufacture thereby throwing overloads on the motor which finally causes its destruction. In installing in a home it may be used as a substitute for the fuse or as a device preventing fuse burnonts and eliminating the abuses and nuisances which accompany the fuse.

Some of the advantages accruing from my improved switch are as follows: First, it breaks both sides of the circuit, cutting the circuit off completely at the switch. It is a combined electro and thermo-responsive controlled switch. It has a certain range of values of amperes for which it allows a time element. For all values above this it breaks instantaneously. It opens the circuit at a multiple of points simultaneously thereby re ducing the current broken at any one contact and giving it very high arc quenching values. This makes it impossible to carry an arc under any normal conditions. It uses carbon or metallized carbon (which has a very low resistance compared with carbon only) brushes on copper contacts which electric motor practice has shown to be the best to resist pitting, preventing freezing and assuring good contact. It breaks free of the handle, or, in other words, it is impossible to hold the switch by the handle in a closed position when a permanent short exists in the linethat is being protected by my switch. It is readily adjusted for different ampere Values without a change in parts. It has a definite on and off position similar to an automobile ignition handle so that an operator can tell at a glance which circuit is oil and what is necessary to put it on. Another advantage of my construction is that nearly all of its parts can be made on a punch press or screw machine and the device is well adapted for quantity production at comparatively low cost.

In the drawings forming a part of this application:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of my improved circuit breaker showing the same in the off position.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of Fig. 1.

Figs. 3, l and 5 are views similar to Fig. 1 with the handle in different positions.

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view on the lines 66 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 7 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 77 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows, and in addition shows my invention connected to a translating device M.

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. '7 taken on the line 88 of Fig. 2, looking in the direc tion of the arrows.

Fig. 9 is a sectional view on the line 9-9 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 10 is a sectional view on the line 1010 of Fig. 5.

In carrying out my invention provide a base member 1 of insulating material with metallic binding posts 2, 3, 4 and 5. The base member 1 is also provided with spaced contacts 6, 7, 8 and 9 rigidly secured to the base and electrically connected with the posts 2, 3, 4 and 5. interposed in the circuit between the post 2 and contact 6 is a contact post 10 and between the post 4 and contact 8 are a pair of posts 11 and 12, the purpose of which will hereinafter appear. Securedto the upper side or" the base member and interposed in the circuit between the contact 9 and post 5 is an electro-responsive trip R. Fixedly mounted on a pin l l secured in the base member 1 a flat substantially cylindrical plate 15 of insulating material, and this plate is. provided with contacts 16, 17, 1S and 19 resiliently mounted therein and preferably of carbon or carbon prepared with metal to increase its conductivity. A metallic spring arm 29 connects the contacts 17 and 18 and a metallic spring arm 21 connects the contacts 16 and 19 and screws 20 and 21 connect said arms 20 and 21 with the plate 15. The screws 20 and 21 may be adjusted to vary the tension of the spring arms 20 and 21 respectively, so as to maintain the contacts 16, 17, 18 and 19 in resilient frictional sliding engagement with the base member 1.

A coil spring 22 connected at one end to he pin l-i and the opposite end to the base member 1 normally maintains the plate in the position shown in Fig. 1. The plate 15 is provided on its periphery with a stop 09 no and a stop 24: which engage a spring )ressecl pawl 25 mounted on the base member in close proximity to the electro-magnet 13, the purpose of which will hereinafter appear. Stops 35 and 36 also limit the move ment of the plate 15. Rotatably mounted on the pin 14 and resting on the upper side of the plate 15 is a member 26 beveled at one end as shown at 27. Rotatably mounted on the upper end of the pin 14 is an operating member 28 ha ving a downwardly projecting portion 29 which is adapted to engage lugs 30 or 31 on the member 26 to actuate the same. As seen in Fig. 1, one end of the member 26 projects under an arm or strap 32 and one cud of the strap 32 lies under the head of the contact 16, and its opposite end is secured to a post 16 on the plate 15. The contact 16 is slidably mounted in the plate 15 and is normally pressed downwardly by the spring arm 21. The arm 32 is inclined downwardly, as shown at 32, and a portion 33 is cut and bent out therefrom as most clearly shown in Fig. 10.

The base member 1 has a raised portion formed thereon to provide an incline 3 1, and so located that when the plate 15 is in the off position, as in Fig. 1, the contact 16 will be over the raised portion 3% thereby b inging the contact 16 into an elevated position which also raises one end of the arm 32 with its projection 33 suiiicicntly to allow the end of the member 26 to pass under the projection 33 when turning the member 28 anti-clockwise and engage the contact 16 (see Fig. 3). The opposite end 27 of member 26 then so located that the bevel 27 covers stop 23 and further movement of member 26 will turn plate 15 and latch will be moved outwardly by the bevel edge 27, and as the movement of the member 26 continues, the latch will ride on the periphery of the plate 1 until the stop 24- is passed, whereupon the latch 25 will enter the recess and the plate 15 will be held against further rotation by the stop 35 and against return rotation by the stop 2% engaging the latcl In this posi tion, the switch will be in the on position (see Fig. 4-) and the contacts 17, 1S and 19 are in electrical contact with their associated contacts 6, 7 and 9. Contact 16 is being held by member 26 and arm 32 in an elevated position over its associated contact 8. The handle 28 may now be turned in the opposite direction until projection 29 of the bandle comes against lug 30 of the member and further movement of the handle will move member 26 and member 26 will release the contact 16 "from its elevated position through disengagement with the projection 33 of arm 32. The contact 16 will automatically move into electrical contact with its associated contact 8, this being the on position of the device as shown in. Fig. Therefore, due to free movement of the member 28 from the time that its projection 29 leaves lug 31 on member 26 and until it comes into engagement with lug 30 and member 2 is rotated suiliciently to allow contact 16 to engage with contact 8 and close the circuit, if during this time excess current should flow through the electro-magnet l3, latch 25 will be withdrawn, thereby releasing plate 15 before the handle has been released, and under the influence of the spring 22 the plate 15 will rotate into the oil position irrespective of the handle. By moving the member 28 still farther in a clockwise direction the bevel 27 of member 26 will push the latch 25 out of engagement with stop 24 and the spring 22 will return the plate 15 and contacts to its original position, as shown in Fig. 1. The inclined portion of 32 is so positioned that the member 26 can pass under projection 33 only when the plate is in the off position and contact 16 is in the elevated position, as shown in Fig. 3.

The reference characters L and L designate the conductors from the main line and L and L designate the corresponding conductors leading from the switch, and may connect to an electric motor for operating a washing machine or other device. The contacts 16, 17, 18 and 19 are slidably mounted in the plate 15 and arms 20 and 21 are tensioned by means of screws 20 and 21' so that the contacts are urged into frictional engagement with the plate 15. It will now be clear that when the plate 15 is turned tothe on position shown in Figs. 4 and 5 that the contact posts 6 and 7 will be connected by the conductor plate 20 and the contact posts 8 and 9 will be connected by the conductor plate 21, and that the circuit will be completed through the switch and that in all other positions of the plate 15 the complete circuit will be broken at four points.

A bi-metal U-shaped thermostatic device T which is placed in and forms a part of the circuit LL and connected at post 11 and 12, Fig. 7, and the bight or intermediate portion is provided with a carbon contact plate and free to move, and which is adapted to engage with contact post 10 on the opposite side of the line or circuit L-L. The

' thermostatic element T is so positioned that an increase in temperature therein due to the current flowing therein deflects its free end with its contact plate 10 towards contact post 10, and when the temperature of the thermostatic device reaches a predetermined value the plate 10' will contact with the post 10 and electrically connectline L with L if the switch is closed. The combined current value and time at which this thermostatic device T will engage with post 10 may be varied and regulated by means of a slider 12 adjustably mounted on the thermostatic device T, thereby cutting in or out a greater or lesser portion of the thermostatic device T, thereby permitting more or less deflection of the thermostatic device T for a given current. In other words the moving of the slider 12' toward the posts l112 will for a given current and time permit less deflection of the circuit. will be for an instant only and the current plate 10 than if the slider were moved toward the plate 10.

The latch 25 is operated by a coil and mag net 13 and which is so positioned as to exert a pull on the latch 25 to withdraw the same from engagement with the stop 24 when a current of predetermined value traverses the coil, and this coil is connected in the circuit L--L between the contact 9 and the post 5.

When the switch is closed the plate is brought to the position shown in Fig. 5 and is held in this position by the engagement of the latch 25 in the stop 24. Thus is formed a circuit consisting of the conductor L, one side of the plate 15 and its contacts,

the conductor L the translating device M, the conductor L the thermostatic device T, through the opposite side of the plate 15 and its contacts, the coil 13 and the conductor L The thermostatic device T depends upon the heating effect thereon of the current flow- 7 ing through the device for its operation.

Having my device connected to a source of power and to a translating device M, such as a motor, and it is desired to start the motor, the operator will move the handle 28 in an anti-clockwise direction as far as possible, that is until the latch 25 drops into the notch and engages the stop 35. Then the handle is moved in a clockwise direction and the member 26 disengages the member 33 and the plug contact 16 springs into engagement with the contact 8, thus completing the circuit from the source of power to the motor.

If for any reason there is a load on the motor and the rush of current is in excess of that which the electremagnet 13 is set for, then the latch 25 will immediately release the plate 15 and the plate will rotate in a clockwise direction and open the circuit under a quick-break action.

If the load on the motor M at starting is heavy but not in excess of that required to operate the latch 25, then if the heavy load hangs on for a time tending to endanger the motor to overheating, then the thermo static device will operate and the contact plate 10' will contact with the post 10 and this will connect the two sides of the supply circuit together and there will be a rush of current for an instant which will energize the electromagnet 13 sufficient to trip the latch 25 and thus relates the rotary switch and open the The shorting of the lines LL flowin g will be broken at four contacts. It will be noted that when the thermostatic device T shorts the circuits that the coil of the electromagnet 13 is, in effect, thrown across the power line or the thermostatic device T a time, the load should gradually increase to point where the heating endangered the insulation, then the thermostatic device T would automatically operate as already described, and the electro-magnet would trip the latch 2 and the circuit would be opened or if the motor should stall the sudden rush of current would over-energize the electro-cmagnet l3 and trip the latch instantly and the circuit would be opened.

It is well to enclose the thermostatic device T so that the temperature co-efiicient will be more nearly contant and conform more nearly with that of the translating device.

It will be appa 'ent that the electro-magnet 18 operates instantly on a current flow in excess of a predetermined amount and the thermostatic device T operates after a current of a predetermined value has been flowing for a predetermined time, but such current is of lower value than the previous mentioned current Value.

The electro-magnet 13 operates the latch 25 independently of the thermostatic device T to release the plate 15 and the thermostatic device T acts independently of the electromagnet 13, but controls the operation of the electro-magnet 13 for a predetermined current flowing for a predetermined time. The switch-plate 15 is, therefore, automatically operated to an open position under two conditions, either by a gradual increase in current until a predetermined heating is reachec as measured by the thermostatic device T or by a surge of current in excess of a predetermined value. There is independence of action between the thermostatic device T and the electro-ma'gnet 1'3, and there is also cooperation as described.

I claim:

1. A circuit breaker comprising a base, a rot table disc having connected contacts thereon to engage fixed contacts on the base to which conductors are connected, :1 spring which is tensioned when the disc is moved to its closed position, a stem secured to the disc, a manually operated handle rotatably mounted on the stem. an intermediate member rotatably mounted on the stem and arranged to engage the disc after partial rotation and move the disc to its closed position and means on the handle to engage and rotate the inter mediate member to close the circuit breaker.

2. A circuit br alter. comprising a base, a rotatable disc having connected contacts thereon to engage with fixed contacts on the ase to which conductors are connected, said disc being operable to an open and to a closed position. a spring which is tensioned to urge lilo dis"v to rotate to its open position, electroresponsive means to hold the disc in its closed position and to release the disc when the current in the circuit reaches a predetermined aiue, a stem to which .the disc is secured, a handle rotatably mounted on the stei an iuterme liate member rotatably mounted on the stem and arranged to engage and rotate the disc to its closed position, means on the handle to engage and rotate the intermediate member to its closed position, means on the intermediate member to hold one of the movable contacts in raised position while the disc is being rotated to its closed position, the handle bein operable when moved in a re verse direction to release the raised contact and permit it to engage its fixed contact, completing the circuit connected thereto.

3. A circuit controlling device, comprising in combination a circuit breaker and a switch in series in a circuit and having a common operating handle, of means operated by the closing movement of the handle to move the circuit breaker to its closed position and simultaneously to open the switch, said means being arranged to close the switch and thereby close the circuit when the handle is moved a predetermined amount in the opening direction and to open the circuit breaker when the movement of the handle is continued for a further predetermined amount in the openin g direction.

4:- A circuit breaker comprising a base, fixed contacts on the base, a rotatable member having contacts to electrically connect the fixed contacts, a spring which is tensioned when the member is rotated to connect the fixed contacts, operating means rotatable in one direction to rotate the member to its closed position and to hold one of the contacts on the member out of engagement with its cooperating fixed contact until the operating means is rotated in the opposite direction and means to hold the member in closed position until released.

5. A circuit breaker comprising a base, fixed contacts on the base, a rotatable member having contacts to electrically connect the fixed contacts, a spring biased to open the circuit breaker, means to hold the circuit breaker closed and means having five operations relative to the circuit breaker, namely; to move the rotatable member to its closed position and simultaneously hold one of the contacts on the rotatable member out of contact with its cooperating fixed contact, to release the contact to engage its cooperating contact to close the circuit and simultaneously assume a free relation to the rotatable member and to trip the holding means to permit the rotatable member to move to its open position.

6. A. circuit breaker comprising a base, spaced and insulated contacts therein, a movable member having reciprocating contacts to cooperate with the base contacts to connect the same, operating means to move the memher into posit-ions to connect and to disconnect the base contacts and means to prevent connecting the base contacts until the operating means is moved in the direction of opening the circuit breaker.

7. A circuit breaker provided with means to open and close a circuit, operating means to move the said means to the open or closed position, means to hold the circuit open after moving the first said means to the closed position until the operating means is reversed and automatic means to close the circuit quickly upon reverse movement of the operating means.

8. A circuit breaker comprising a base having a pair of spaced and insulated contacts to connect to conductors, a rotatable member having a pair of spaced contacts to cooperate with the base contacts to connect the same, holding means to maintain the rotatable memher and contacts in connected relation against a spring biased to open the circuit, a rotatable means to move the rotatable member to the circuit closing position when rotated in one direction and to engage the holding means When rotated in the other direction a predetermined amount and to hold the circuit open until rotated in the said other direction a predetermined amount which is less than the previous predetermined amount and manually operated means to engage and move the rotatable means in either direction with a predeter- 3 mined amount of lost motion between the two directional movements of the said manually operated means.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

EDGAR D. MOORE. 

